Lisa Mazzone | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2019 | |
| President of the Green Party of Switzerland | |
| Assumed office 7 April 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Balthasar Glรคttli |
| Member of the Council of States (Switzerland) | |
| In office 2 December 2019ย โ 3 December 2023 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lisa Marie Mazzone 25 January 1988 Geneva, Switzerland |
| Citizenship | Switzerland Italy |
| Party | Green Party of Switzerland |
Domestic partner | Christoph Lenz (since 2018) |
| Relations | Maria Fidecaro (grandmother) |
| Children | 2 |
| University of Geneva (BA) | |
| Website | Official website Parliament website |
Lisa Marie Mazzone[1] (French: [liza maหzone]; Italian: [liza matหtsoหne]; born 25 January 1988) is a Swiss politician who currently serves as President of the Green Party of Switzerland since 2024.[2]
She previously served as a member of the Council of States (Switzerland) from 2019 to 2023, the National Council (Switzerland) from 2015 to 2019 and on the Grand Council of Geneva from 2013 to 2015. Most of her political interventions to date have involved environmental issues.[3][4] She has been the youngest member elected to parliament at the time.[5]
Early life and education
editMazzone was born 25 January 1988, one of three children, to Sergio Mazzone, a biochemist and solar panel installer and city council member of Geneva, and Dr. Lucia Mazzone (nรฉe Fidecaro; 1959โ2013), a psychiatrist.[6] She has an older brother and younger sister.[7]
She is of Italian and Swiss descent. Her two maternal grandparents were physicists, Giuseppe Fidecaro (1926โ2024) and Maria Fidecaro (nรฉe Cervasi; 1930โ2023), who came to Switzerland in 1956 to work at CERN, the European research center, in Geneva.[8][9] She also has one Swiss German grandmother, Beatrice Gmรผr, who originally hailed from St. Gallen, was also employed there.[10]
Mazzone was raised in Versoix, where she attended the local schools, obtaining her Matura from Collรจge Andrรฉ-Chavanne. Ultimately she studied French literature and Latin at the University of Geneva.
Political career
editIn 2006, aged 18, Mazzone took part in the establishment of the Youth Parliament ("parlement des jeunes") at Versoix.[11] She became a member of the national committee of the Swiss Federation of Youth Parliament in 2007/08.[12] She joined the Green Party in 2008.[12] She served as president of the Geneva party between March 2014 and March 2016.[12] She then became Party Vice-President for the Suisse Romande region in succession to Robert Cramer on 16 April 2016.[13]
Mazzone sat as a municipal councillor ("Conseil communal") in Le Grand-Saconnex - the multi-cultural central Geneva municipality which includes both the city airport and several major United Nations facilities within its boundaries - from 2011 till June 2013.[14] 2013 was also the year in which she graduated from the University of Geneva with a Bachelor en Lettres degree in Latin and French.[12] As she later explained to an interviewer, that was when she decided to devote herself 100% to her favourite pastime, political and social ("associatif") engagement.[12] Later that year, on 6 October 2013, she was elected to membership of the Grand Council of Geneva ("Grand Conseil de Genรจve" / cantonal parliament) for the five-year term ending in 2018.[15] The 2013 election had left the Green Party with just 10 of the 100 Grand Council seats. Within the Geneva parliament she was a member of the transport commission and of the energy commission, becoming chair of the latter in December 2014. In March 2014 she had become leader of the Green Party team.[16]
Lisa Mazzone was elected to the Swiss parliament ("Conseil national" / "Consiglio Nazionale") on 18 October 2015, becoming Switzerland's youngest member of parliament.[3] She delivered her ten-minute maiden speech to the National Council on 30 November 2015, which was her first day in the parliament. Under the relevant cantonal legislation, election to the national parliament had meant resignation from the Grand Council of Geneva on 12 November 2015.[12] At the time of her election she told an interviewer:
- "My orientation, based on my personal values, moves me towards considerations about free time and about sharing - as regards 'things', wealth and knowledge. It is time to move on from the strict focus on economic productivity which prevails today ... the [political] left must launch its own initiatives, projects and referendums, and not spend its time on the defensive".[17][a]
In October 2018 Mazzone announced that in the 2019 national elections she would stand not for re-election to the National Council ("Conseil national" - lower house) but as a candidate for election to the Council of States (Switzerland) ("Conseil des รtats" / "Cussegl dals Stadi"), which is the upper house of the national parliament. The relationship between the two chambers of the Swiss national parliament is roughly analogous to that between the German Bundesrat (upper house) and Bundestag (lower house). In the elections for the "Conseil des รtats" she is hoping to win the seat made vacant by the recently announced retirement from the chamber of her party colleague Robert Cramer. The elections in question are scheduled for October 2019.[18]
Political issues
editBicycles and transport
editMany of the slopes around the foreshore at the western end of Lake Geneva are reassuringly gentle: Lisa Mazzone became a passionate advocate for cycling when she was barely a teenager. She worked as a co-ordinator for the Geneva Pro-Vรฉlo association between 2010 and 2014.[12] In 2014 she stepped down from that job in order to become Project Manager with the association.[19] Since April 2015 she has also been vice-president at the "National Association for Transportation and the Environment" ("Association transports et environnement"). She has subsequently become the association's president for the francophone region surrounding Geneva.[20]
Stop bunkers
editBecause of the country's exceptionally precautionary cold war era building regulations, far more Swiss homes and offices feature their own underground nuclear bunkers than equivalent buildings elsewhere in Western Europe. In February 2015 Lisa Mazzone came to prominence as a leader in the Grand Council of a small group of deputies supporting the so-called "stop bunkers" movement. The issue concerned the extent to which the city authorities, in defiance of building regulations stating that premises with a floor below ground level could not be used as living accommodation, had been using nuclear bunkers to accommodate asylum seekers. The "stop bunkers" protesters included (but were not restricted to) asylum seekers being accommodated underground who were complaining about lack of sunshine or ventilation, terrible and rotting food, the impossibility of sleeping under the 24-hour lighting and in the noisy conditions, and the indestrucability of the bed bugs.[21]
Beyond parliament
editMuch of Lisa Mazzone's most visible political activity still takes place outside parliament. She chairs the organisation "Regional Co-ordination for a Geneva city airport respectful of the environment and of the residents" ("Coordination rรฉgionale pour un aรฉroport de Genรจve urbain, respectueux de l'environnement et de la population" / CARPE) which in December 2016 tabled a cantonal "people's initiative", backed by 14,450 signatures, calling for "democratic control in respect of Geneva airport" ("Pour un pilotage dรฉmocratique de l'aรฉroport de Genรจve").[22]
She is co-president, along with Priska Seiler Graf of the Social Democratic Party in Zรผrich, of the "Environment and Health Coalition for responsible air transport" ("Coalition environnement et santรฉ pour un transport aรฉrien responsable" / CESAR) created in September 2016 by 20 like-minded Swiss associations and organisations.[23] In March 2017 she became one of two co-presidents of the CIVIVA, a national organisation which makes arrangements for an extended period of alternative public service ("Service civil" / "Zivildienst") to be performed by male citizens unwilling, for reasons of conscience, to undertake the normal terms of (otherwise compulsory) military service.[24] Since May 2018 she has also served as president for the Swiss section of the Society for Threatened Peoples which emerged in 1970 from the Hamburg-based "Aktion Biafra-Hilfe" movement.[25]
Personal life
editMazzone is in a relationship with Christoph Lenz, originally from Schaffhausen. They have two children.
She is a dual citizen of Switzerland and Italy.[26]
Notes
edit- ^ ยซMes valeurs mโorientent vers une rรฉflexion pour davantage de temps libre et de partage โ tant au niveau des biens, des richesses que des savoirs. Il est temps de sortir de l'approche strictement productiviste qui prรฉvaut aujourdโhui .... La gauche doit lancer ses propres projets, initiatives et rรฉfรฉrendums et ne pas passer son temps sur la dรฉfensive.ยป[17]
References
edit- ^ "Lisa Marie Mazzone in Genรจve - Reports". Moneyhouse. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
- ^ "Swiss Green Party elects new president". Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Frauen-Rekord im Nationalrat". Die jรผngste Nationalrรคtin, ihre รคlteste Kollegin und die Partei mit der grรถssten Frauenvertretung in der grossen Kammer. Tamedia AG (vorm. Tages-Anzeiger fรผr Stadt und Kanton Zรผrich AG). 19 October 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
- ^ Daniele Mariani (29 December 2015). "Lisa Mazzone et l'envie de changer le monde". service international de la Sociรฉtรฉ suisse de radiodiffusion et tรฉlรฉvision (SRG SSR) (in French). Translated by Barbara Knopf (from the Italian original). Swiss Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
- ^ News, Global Green (2020-05-08). "Lisa Mazzone, Dรฉputรฉe, Genรจve, Genรจve, Switzerland | Global Green News". Retrieved 2024-12-03.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ Death notice of Lucia MazzoneโFidecaro (1959โ2013) https://www.todesanzeigenportal.ch/?LuvDU4UMgUc2eOeDqYjOd326YejWFlV6d7Ms7ek8z5W7AlinFzgFNrpCv0zUparfwM6GChbPaTj6TFtoJU5e2L3N3UpUTgchnGM4kD7mMtbO2bJQraEIJZ7yPGz1
- ^ "Lisa Mazzone .... Parcours personnel". Lisa Mazzone. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
- ^ "Giuseppe Fidecaro (1926 โ 2024)". CERN. 2024-11-29. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
- ^ "Maria Fidecaro (1930 โ 2023)". CERN. 2024-11-29. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
- ^ Marinus van Gulik, ed. (November 1958). "mariages" (PDF). Journal de l'association du personnel. p.ย 17. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "Lisa Mazzone". 1988, Grand-Saconnex, Conseillรจre municipale, coordinatrice de PRO VELO Genรจve, membre du comitรฉ de F-information. Les Verts genevois. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g Gรฉraldine Riat (22 November 2016). "Les femmes au Parlement suisse, tรฉmoignage de Lisa Mazzone". femmes et politique. Topo (originally, "mรฉdia รฉtudiant de Science politique de lโUniversitรฉ de Genรจve"). Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ Judith Mayencourt (11 February 2016). "Lisa Mazzone vise la vice-prรฉsidence des Verts". PolitiqueLa Genevoise devrait remplacer Robert Cramer ร la vice-prรฉsidence romande du parti. Elle veut y incarner une sensibilitรฉ urbaine et ouverte. 24 heures, Lausanne. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "Lisa Mazzone โ รฉlue au Conseil National". La difficile equation รฉcologie/politique, lโexemple de la COP21. (Announcement of a talk by Lisa Mazzone to GIMUN). Geneva International Model United Nations (GIMUN). Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "Sรฉance du jeudi 7 novembre 2013 ร 17h". Grand Conseil. Rรฉpublique et canton de Genรจve. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "Lisa Mazzone, nouvelle Conseillรจre nationale". Les Verts genevois fรฉlicitent Lisa Mazzone pour son รฉlection au Conseil national. (press notice). Les Verts genevois. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ a b Laura Drompt (26 October 2015). "Ecologiste et fรฉministe, Lisa Mazzone fourbit ses armes pour la lรฉgislature" (PDF). Plus jeune รฉlue du Conseil national, la Genevoise dรฉtaille ses objectifs au sein dโun parlement tournรฉ vers sa droite, oรน elle va dรฉfendre les causes qui lui tiennent ร cลur. L'Express, feuille d'avis de Neuchรขtel. p.ย 17. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
- ^ "L'รฉcologiste genevoise Lisa Mazzone est candidate au Conseil des Etats". Robert Cramer, le conseiller aux Etats vert sortant, a annoncรฉ son intention de ne pas se reprรฉsenter en 2019. La conseillรจre nationale Lisa Mazzone, 30 ans, se lance dans la course. Le Temps, Lausanne. 18 October 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
- ^ "Mazzone Lisa". Pour relever le dรฉfi climatique, ร nous de passer des paroles aux actesย ! Je mโengage pour assurer, aujourdโhui et demain, une planรจte viable et une Suisse agrรฉable. Pour la cohรฉsion sociale et la solidaritรฉ, poursuivons la tradition dโouverture de la Suisse et prรฉservons le droit dโasile, en accueillant dignement les migrants. Centre de liaison des Associations Fรฉminines Genevoises. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "Membres du comitรฉ". ATE Association transports et environnement, Bern. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ Laure Gabus (23 February 2015). "Des dรฉputรฉs exigent l'arrรชt de l'hรฉbergement souterrain". Asile: Une motion de la gauche et du PDC demande au Conseil dโEtat ne plus loger de requรฉrants dโasile plus de trois mois sous terre. Tribune de Genรจve. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "14'450 signatures pour un pilotage dรฉmocratique de l'aรฉroport de Genรจve". Les Genevois veulent avoir leur mot ร dire sur leur aรฉroport. Radio tรฉlรฉvision suisse romande. 16 December 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
- ^ "Une coalition se crรฉe pour rรฉduire les รฉmissions nocives du trafic aรฉrien" (PDF). Communiquรฉ de presse. Coalition environnement et santรฉ pour un transport aรฉrien responsable, Berne. 26 September 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
- ^ "Lisa Mazzone devient co-prรฉsidente de la Fรฉdรฉration suisse du service civil". Changement de tรชte ร la prรฉsidence de la Fรฉdรฉration suisse du service civil. Son prรฉsident Heiner Studer cรจde sa place ร une co-prรฉsidence, occupรฉe par Lisa Mazzone (Les Verts/GE) et Samuel Steiner. Radio tรฉlรฉvision suisse romande. 17 March 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
- ^ "La conseillรจre nationale Lisa Mazzone devient la nouvelle prรฉsidente de la Sociรฉtรฉ pour les peuples menacรฉs". Lors de lโassemblรฉe annuelle de la Sociรฉtรฉ pour les peuples menacรฉs (SPM), la conseillรจre nationale genevoise et vice-prรฉsidente des Verts Suisse, a รฉtรฉ รฉlue prรฉsidente de lโorganisation ร lโunanimitรฉ. Lisa Mazzone succรจde ainsi ร Ruth-Gaby Vermot et assume ses fonctions dรจs ร prรฉsent. Sociรฉtรฉ pour les peuples menacรฉs (CH), Berne. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
- ^ "Lisa Mazzone: ยซQuand on trouve les ressources pour se relever, un รฉchec est une expรฉrience formatriceยป". Illustre (in Swiss French). Retrieved 2024-12-03.
